LeBron gets job done as Simmons goes down

BASKETBALL: An ankle injury has further soured a disappointing night for Aussie Ben Simmons as his Philadelphia 76ers fell to a LeBron James-inspired Cleveland Cavaliers.

James finished the night with 30 points and 13 rebounds while Simmons, tipped to be the NBA's Rookie of the Year, finished the game receiving treatment for a right ankle sprain after scoring 10 points and picking up eight rebounds.

Simmons fell to the floor midway through the final quarter and got to his feet with a limp, before battling on for a few plays.

However it wasn't long before the Aussie headed for the locker room, hobbling straight up the players' entrance for treatment.

The Cavaliers made it eight wins in a row after posting a 113-91 victory, the win not only silencing the Philadelphia crowd but also dousing the flames around Simmons.

Much of the talk heading into the clash was how Simmons, the former No.1 draft pick taking the NBA by storm, would fare against the man many believe he could one day replace as the best in the game.

Simmons had struggled to have a big impact on the contest as James, who Simmons has previously described as his idol and like a "big brother”, stamped his authority on the game.

'King James' gave his side the early ascendancy, firing 15 points and grabbing six rebounds in a menacing opening quarter from which the home side was unable to recover.

Simmons enjoyed a couple of nice moments, particularly at the start of the final quarter when he rammed home successive slam dunks, but James, Dwyane Wade and the rest of the Cavaliers squad never gave the Sixers a serious sight of getting back into the game.

The Sixers fell to an 11-8 record - still in a playoff position in the Eastern Conference - and next host the Washington Wizards.